The Infallible Uncle Auggie
by Cortexikid
Summary: "They love their Aunt Annie," he smiled. "Yeah, just not as much as they adore their Uncle Auggie." A blush crept up her cheeks as she was met by silence. Oops. He wasn't supposed to know about that nickname. Annie/Auggie. Future fic.
1. Math Madness

**The Infallible Uncle Auggie**

**By Cortexikid**

**Chapter 1: Math Madness**

**Time-Line: Set in the not-too-distant future. Maybe 1 year since the season 1 finale. Can be seen as a sort-of-sequel to my other fic "Game Night."**

**A/N: So here's another small fic. Maybe a two/three chaptered one. Again, I'm new to this fandom so hopefully I don't screw it up too badly…enjoy!**

**Oh and thanks to Trish47 for inspiring me to write a sort-of-sequel to "Game Night." =]**

"No Aunt Annie, I thought it was ¾?" Chloe Brooks frowned as she crossed out the ¼ that her aunt had written in the wrong place, again.

Annie Walker bit her lip, sighing softly as her niece took out her eraser. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she watched out of the corner of her eye as her two nieces sat at the kitchen table doing their math homework. She was trying to help Chloe with her math (she couldn't believe that she had just started fourth grade) and was failing miserably.

"Aunt Annie, can you help me now?" Katia asked, whilst trying to balance a pen on her nose.

Annie fought another sigh. If she couldn't help with fourth grade fractions she had no hope of helping with fifth grade equations. It wasn't that she was bad at math or anything, it was more that languages were always her forte, that and the fact that she had a particularly long day and was flat out exhausted. But, she did offer to baby-sit tonight so, apparently, helping with math homework was a consequence of her generous offer.

The shrill ringing of a cell phone caused the two young girls to jump, startled. Annie threw them an apologetic look as she dug her hand into her pocket and retrieved her phone. She smiled brightly when she saw whose name popped up on her caller ID.

"You've reached Annie Walker, math genius extraordinaire – how may I help you?" she murmured, sarcasm and wariness lacing her tone despite her ever present smile.

Her grin grew larger as he heard him laugh heartily.

"I take it by your enthusiastic greeting that babysitting is going splendidly?"

She rolled her eyes at his cheery tone. It was easy for him to be so damn chirpy, he wasn't failing miserably at math that that should be remembered from Elementary school and embarrassing himself in front of her nieces.

"Oh yeah, things are going great. I've just realized that I'm no Srinivasa Ramanujan," she grumbled quietly as she stood up from the table and made her way into the other room, away from prying eyes and ears.

"The math genius? No, I don't think there are many like him. I take it you're helping the girls with their homework?"

"Got it in one Sherlock. And I'm failing miserably. Math was never really my thing."

"Well Watson, if you want some company…I know a thing or two about fractions…"

"So not only are you The Scrabble King but you're also a math genius? Wow…you really are a geek."

"Oh harr harr. Fine, if you're gonna be mean about it, this geek will be hanging up now-"

"-No! Don't hang up! I…I'd love some company Auggie. You and your math skills are greatly needed by this hapless math zero." Annie realized that she was practically begging at this point but she knew that there was no way she was going to be able to help out her nieces by a reasonable hour, get them fed and in bed before her sister came home without a little help.

"Well…since you asked so nicely…I'll be there in 10," came his soft reply.

"Oh Auggie you're a saint!"

"Ha ha yeah, Saint. Bernard if I remember correctly."

Annie shook her head, laughing heartily as she made her way back into the kitchen, frowning when she saw both her nieces standing extremely close to the door she just exited. Looks like she had a few ease-droppers on her hands.

"Like I said, cute and dependable. Just don't forget the booze, Cujo."

Annie hung up before Auggie could utter a sassy reply and was met with two curious identical looks from her two nieces.

"What?" she asked, grinning as she put her phone back in her pocket.

The two girls shared a look, small smiles spreading slowly across their faces. Annie felt a little uneasy at their mischievous faces.

"So…" Katia began, staring up at her with sparkling eyes, "does this mean Uncle Auggie is coming over?"

Annie tilted her head, resisting the urge to roll her eyes and simultaneously blush at her niece's nickname for her best friend.

"Yep."

There was a loud chorus of 'yay' before a scrambling of excited feet and giggles upon hearing their favourite person was paying them a visit. Annie merely watched in silence, a smile on her face. She may not show it the same as the girls but she couldn't wait for her favourite person to arrive either.

**A/N: So yay, total fluff. My original writing is a little angsty at the moment so I decided to do a fluffy fanfic to counter-act. Hope you guys liked the first chapter!**

**I'd love a review =]**

**A little SNEAK PEEK of what is to come:**

_"In High School, compared to my brothers I was definitely more brains then brawn. Still am."_

_"Oh well, I don't know, boy wonder, I've sparred with you, remember? You definitely got some brawn…"_

_Okay, this was just ridiculous. Was her mouth and her brain fighting or something?_

_"Wow. You really are laying it on thick tonight huh Walker?"_

_"That's how I roll, Anderson._

**P.S: I am European (Irish) so please bear with me, I'm trying to 'Americanize' as best I can. Hopefully I did okay… **


	2. Geek In Shining Armor

**The Infallible Uncle Auggie**

**By Cortexikid**

**Chapter 2: Geek In Shinning Armor **

**A/N: Warning: fluff ahead. I've no idea where it's all coming from. Really. Words in **_**italics**_** are Annie's thoughts…**

**Disclaimer: Oh yeah, Covert Affairs isn't mine. I really wish Auggie was though…**

Annie had just put on dinner when she heard a soft tap at the Brooks' front door. Taking off her oven mitts (and unconsciously smoothing down her hair and clothes) she stopped in front of the door and took a deep breath. This was far from the first time Auggie had come over to the Brooks' household (after the museum tour her sister had_ insisted_ that Auggie attend some of their barbecues and dinners and any other social function she could think of) but she still felt a little nervous, although she could never pin point why.

Her brain tried to reason with her once that it was because '_he isn't used to the house and he might be uncomfortable' _and Annie never wanted Auggie to be uncomfortable, especially around her. But somehow, now, after months and months of him being in her home and her sister's, she knew, deep down that wasn't the real reason at all. But that didn't mean she had to acknowledge exactly what the real one was. If she even knew herself that was.

Shaking her head to rid herself of those niggling thoughts, Annie reached out and opened the door, smiling brightly when it revealed a patiently grinning August Anderson – in his signature casual clothes, a "I lost the game" t-shirt and dark blue jeans. Annie definitely approved, but she wouldn't tell the cocky son-of-a-bitch.

"There's no need to panic anymore Ms. Walker, August Anderson Math Wiz is here. Please, hold the applause," he said with that grin that told her that he had thought of that one-liner all the way over in the cab.

"Don't worry, there won't be any applauding," she retorted with a roll of her eyes and a touch to his forearm. He scowled at her reply, not looking entirely impressed.

"And here was me thinking that I was going to be your savior from the evilness that is fractions and algebra…humph, guess I was wrong," he responded cheekily, taking her arm and allowing her to lead him into her house, cane laying idly at his side.

"Oh you will be someone's savior, Knight Anderson, just not mine. Katia and Chloe will appreciate your honor and bravery and brains I'm sure," she murmured, hearing the loud scrambling of feet over head.

"Just tell me if they look like they might bowl me over, you know, so I can try not fall on my ass," Auggie murmured quietly as the bounding feet came down the stairs and sped towards them.

"AUGGIE!" the girls yelled in unison before practically leaping on him. Annie felt him clutch her arm tightly for a moment before he composed himself and hugged the girls back enthusiastically.

"Hey, how are my favorite fairies doin' today?" he asked, a large, playful grin on his face.

Annie watched as Auggie and her nieces interacted, her own matching smile spread across her face. She was always in awe at how great Auggie was with kids. Not once was he fazed by them (although he couldn't really afford to be when she left him hanging with thirty third graders last year) like most men would be and managed to have a smile on his face the whole time even when some asked him awkward questions about his cane or how he became blind, it just made her admire him even more. But again, she wasn't gonna inflate his ego.

"Okay, okay you little monsters, let Auggie breathe, you're squeezing the life outta him," she mock-scolded the girls before leading Auggie into the kitchen, Katia and Chloe hot on their heels.

"Wow, something smells good," he remarked good-naturedly as he sat down beside the girls, their homework still sprawled across the kitchen table. Annie went over and tended to the sauce that she had just put on the stove to boil.

"Thank you, it's Chicken Carbonara," she informed him whilst stirring.

"Oh Italian – nice choice. So did the younger Walker inherit her sister's culinary skills then?" he asked as the girls quietly set to work.

Annie snorted at his rouse. This was not his first time tasting her cooking; he knew well that she did not meet her sister's talent in the cooking department. But this dish was her specialty, and as coincidence would have it, she decided to prepare it the day Auggie dropped by. Coincidences are funny that way.

"I do just fine," she smiled, putting back on Danielle's ridiculously pink apron so she wouldn't ruin her clothes.

"Auggie," Chloe piped up, "are you gonna help us with our math homework? Aunt Annie is terrible…"

Auggie laughed as Annie let out a scoff of outrage.

"Chloe Brooks, I am not terrible at math! I just happen to be a lot better at other subjects like English and Spanish and French and Portuguese and-"

"-Modesty," Auggie finished with a smirk in her direction.

Annie folded her arms across her chest and fought not to pout. She did not like it when her nieces and Auggie ganged up on her – they were a lethal combination.

"Just stick to the numbers, geek boy, or someone won't be getting any dinner," she retorted, clicking her heel as she turned back to the stove. She could tell Auggie was still turned towards her but she ignored it stubbornly, biting back a smile.

"Okay boss," he murmured in mock-surrender as the girls burst into giggles at what was probably a dramatic expression, "I'll make sure I work for my keep. C'mon girls, let's do some fractions…"

* * *

She really didn't know how he did it. She would have gone crazy after about twenty minutes.

"No Chloe, we don't do that until after we find the lowest common denominator," Auggie said gently, shaking his head at the young girl as she got out her eraser.

Annie just stood and watched as Auggie and the girls sat at the kitchen table, slowly but surely working their way through fractions and equations. Throughout the last half hour Auggie had been extremely patient with them as they struggled to finish their homework. He really was proving to be a god-send. She didn't know how Danielle and Michael managed to go through this every night; she was getting tired just watching.

"Katia, I don't think the answer to number seven is hearts and smiley faces," Auggie smiled at the older sibling as Katia gaped at him, red-faced, wondering how she had been caught out. Annie wondered that too and walked towards the table to look over her niece's shoulder and see for herself.

"Yep, hearts and smiley faces, how'd you know?"

Auggie just shrugged, saying, "lucky guess."

"Katia, no more doodles, try and work out the answer. Dinner will be ready in ten minutes so try and have everything finished by then, please," Annie said in the most authorial tone she could manage. It wasn't really like her to, but someone around here had to be the responsible adult.

"You heard your Aunt Annie, we better get a move on," Auggie smirked as he heard his friend walk back over to the stove. Leaning forward he whispered to the girls in a hushed tone, "we better not make her mad, she might poison the chicken…"

"I heard that!" Annie exclaimed as her nieces giggled.

* * *

"That was delicious," her best friend remarked as he lay down his knife and fork onto the near empty plate. Despite her best efforts, Annie found herself blushing and biting her lip - trying to prevent a smile. He may not be able to see her, but her nieces could. And they are little minxes. Two little adorable doses of trouble.

"Thanks Aug," she murmured off-handily as she began to retrieve the plates off the table.

"Here, let me help," Auggie insisted as he stood up and took the plates from her. Before Annie could protest, he made his way easily into the kitchen. Seemed he memorized the layout easier than she thought.

The two girls sat patiently in the living room waiting on their dessert as the two 'Smithsonian employees' busied themselves with tidying up in the kitchen. Auggie handed Annie the plates and she loaded them into the dishwasher, they worked like a well oiled machine. When they were just about done, Annie reached over and caught Auggie's arm. He looked down in her direction and waited silently for her to speak.

"Hey, Auggie, I just wanna say…thanks, you know, for being my Math Geek In Shinning Armor," she half-whispered, gently squeezing his forearm.

He practically beamed at her.

"So, I am your savior?"

He got a smack in the shoulder for that one.

"Now who's the modest one?" she asked, turning and walking over to the fridge.

"Hey, I have you know, I am modest. I'm totally downplaying all my abilities. You have only heard the tip of the iceberg of all that Auggie Anderson is _very _capable of doing…" he quietly replied, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

That earned him another smack in the shoulder. Him and his innuendo would be the death of her.

"Knock it off! Do you want to horrify your two biggest fans with your dirty mind?" she hissed playfully, taking out ice-cream and putting it into bowls.

"Aww Annie…and I thought you were my biggest fan? And hey, I only made an innocent statement, I hate to tell you but, you're the one that made it dirty, not me."

She merely shook her head at him. Sometimes there was just no winning with him.

"So, you wanna be the one to ask them finish the rest of their English homework?" she asked in a teasing tone, handing him a bowl of ice-cream.

"And why should I be the one given that glorious task?" he asked inquisitively, licking his spoon.

Annie fought not to stare, or let her mind wander off to very dangerous places where he wasn't a spoon he was licking…

She shook her head frantically and placed the ice-cream back in the freezer.

"Hey, is it my fault that my nieces prefer you over me?" she asked over her shoulder.

"Aww that's not true. They love their Aunt Annie."

"Yeah, just not as much as they adore their Uncle Auggie."

A blush crept up her cheeks as she was met by silence. Wow. He was not supposed to know about that particular nickname. _Me and my stupid mouth…_She had to fix this. Now.

"I mean, you do give them tours in museums with your 'light saber' and help them with math…you're like the Luke Skywalker of fractions…" she continued hurriedly, hoping he somehow didn't hear her previous statement. With a frantic heart she knew that was damn near impossible, Auggie had the hearing of Superman. Maybe she should keep that particular comparison to herself too, no need to fuel the already embarrassing fire.

"I love it when you talk Star Wars to me," he smirked, his voice dropped half an octave, as he took another bite of ice-cream. Annie heaved a silent sigh of relief. _Crisis adverted!_

"Uncle Auggie huh?" he continued, grinning cockily, folding his arms across his chest, his eyebrows raising with interest.

_Damn. Damn, damn, damn._

"Uh…yeah…Katia and Chloe's idea, they love you," she murmured, not bringing herself to look at him.

There was a short silence. Annie could have sworn she could hear her heart beating hysterically in her chest.

"Just Katia and Chloe?"

She barely contained a gasp. She had not expected that reaction. What she did expect was some witty Auggie remark and some teasing. This, however, this threw her. She had no idea how the hell to respond.

**A/N: Dun, dun, dun! Sorry for the cliffy, couldn't help myself. I decided to leave out the sneak peek from the 1****st**** chapter and put it into the next one instead. I think this fic is running a little wild - have tonnes of ideas, may make it a little longer than a three-shot…that okay with you guys?**

**Again, thanks for all the support!**

**I'd love a review =]**

**P.S: Sorry for all the dialogue, these two just kinda inspire me to write silliness. I'm really more of a 'descriptive writer' usually, honest, lol. **

**Oh and I'm aware not much went on in this chappie. Promise to have more plot development in the next. Hope you enjoyed anyway!**

**Oh, one more thing I LOST THE GAME. For your own sakes, I wouldn't ask what the hell I'm talking about if you want to keep your sanity. You've been warned…**


	3. Buddy Dynamite

**The Infallible Uncle Auggie**

**By Cortexikid**

**Chapter 3: Buddy Dynamite **

**Disclaimer: I own neither Covert Affairs nor Napoleon Dynamite. I'm just doing whatever I feel like doing - GOSH! =]**

**A/N: SORRY, SORRY, SORRY for the late update. My computer crashed and I lost some data so I had to start over so forgive me if this chapter isn't up to par. Hope you enjoy regardless!**

"Just Katia and Chloe?"

_Crap, crap, crap! Say something, anything!_

"Heh- someone's cocky tonight, huh?" she replied, laughing nervously, her voice an octave higher than normal.

There was another beat of silence and Annie took that moment to carefully gage his reaction. A small, wry smile had spread across his handsome face as his gaze landed on a spot behind her head.

"That's how I roll, Walker," he smirked, placing down his now empty bowl on the counter beside him.

She frowned at his tone, it sounded a little…different then his usual teasing one. There was something…_off_ about it, almost like he was trying hard to mask _something_. She tried not to think about what that something might be.

Before either of them could say anything further, they heard a little shuffling of feet before a small voice called out, "Aunt Annie is our ice-cream ready yet?"

Annie whirled around and was met by her youngest niece standing in the doorway, looking bashful.

"Oh, yeah, sweetie, just give me a minute," she murmured distractedly, grabbing one of the bowls and handing it to the little girl before picking up the other whilst attentively latching onto Auggie's arm.

"C'mon Narcissus, let's go into the living room," she half-whispered against his shoulder before leading him out of the room.

"Harsh, Echo, just harsh," he laughed as she stared at him quizzically before the nickname dawned on her.

_He is comparing me to a nymph who got her heart broken? Ha. It is weirdly fitting…_

Once they had all settled in the living room, (the girls seated on the floor in front of the TV as the adults sat side by side on the couch) Annie cringed when she realized that Danielle had left out a very particular book on their coffee table. She groaned almost inaudibly, fighting the urge to bury her face in Auggie's shoulder in embarrassment.

"What's up, Annie? Not impressed with your new nickname?" he smirked smugly, poking her gently.

She swatted his hand, a little too hard to be just playful.

"As a matter of fact, no, I'm not. I've gotta say, I never did like the end of that version, except for vanity kicking Narcissus' ass of course," she replied, trying to sound light-hearted but the more she thought about the old myth the more the nickname bothered her.

"You know I was just kidding, right? You're nothing like Echo," he murmured quietly as to not to disturb the girls, sounding a little worried at the possibility that he may have inadvertently offended her.

"I know…" she mumbled, more for his sake than her own, "besides, that's not what's wrong," she finished, realizing it was pointless to try and lie to him.

"Oh? Well, that's good; I was worried you might be pissed enough at me to take me down," he smiled, angling his body towards her.

"Ha, like I ever could," she snorted, reaching forward and retrieving the book off the table, before leaning back against the couch, her shoulder brushing his.

"Hey, hey, hey, no selling yourself short. You'd do just fine against me," he responded, trying not to think of the implications of what he just said.

"I'm sure I would do great things against you Karate Kid," she replied softly, a smirk glinting across her face for a fraction of a second, "but I'd still get my ass handed to me. Hey, what were you like in High School?" she asked suddenly, turning her body towards him.

"Whoa, where did that come from?" he asked, his eyebrows knitting in confusion as he was rather enjoying where the first part of her sentence was going.

Annie traced her fingers over the book on her lap before reaching out and clasping Auggie's hand in hers. Silently, she guided his hand over the cover – the raised lettering easy to read.

"Family photo album? Ahh…now I understand Sensei, I take it there are some embarrassing high school pictures in here that causes you anguish?"

She laughed at his wording, shaking her head and rolling her eyes.

"Oh, you can say that again. So, quit stalling, what were you like as a teenager?"

He shifted a little, clearing his throat. Annie watched him intently.

_Is the famously self-assured August Anderson nervous?_

"In High School, compared to my brothers I was definitely more brains then brawn. Still am," he told her, his hand still rested in hers.

"Oh well, I don't know, boy wonder, I've sparred with you, remember? You definitely got some brawn…" the words fell out of her mouth before she knew what was happening.

_Okay, this is just ridiculous. Are my mouth and brain fighting or something?_

"Wow. You really are laying it on thick tonight huh Walker?"

"That's how I roll, Anderson," she retorted, throwing his own words back at him.

And there it was the familiar, the comfortable, the safe banter. All was right with the world.

"So what were you like, Walker? No wait, let me guess…you were that girl that was likeable to just about everyone no matter what 'clique' they were in. You were smart and successful but not to the point of being annoying. You were athletic but definitely not the cheerleader type – more sporty, you were feisty and opinionated and most of your teachers loved and respected you…" he trailed off, rubbing his chin with his free hand in thought.

Her mouth dropped open at his nearly completely accurate account of her high school life.

"Yeah, you're right," she grumbled as he grinned smugly, "I wasn't over-achieving or anything but I did well enough. I was constantly the new girl so I never really got to know people well but yeah, I never had any problems with anyone. In a couple of high schools I ran track – Danielle was the cheerleader, not me, and yeah, I guess I never really had any trouble with any of my teachers…unless I corrected their grammar," she laughed jokingly, as she replied a particular peeved French teacher of hers came to mind.

"I like the image of a fifteen year old you correcting an ancient Spanish teacher," he laughed, "very you."

She chuckled quietly, "actually, it was the French teacher, I had a crush on my Spanish teacher," she admitted softly, her shoulders shaking silently.

"Oh…really? Now that's interesting…tell me all about this Spanish teacher." She fought not to roll her eyes at his very interested tone.

"He was the typical tall, dark and handsome type. Nothing special really, just hot," she grinned, opening up the photo album and leafing through it quickly.

"Oh, I see, so your attraction was purely on looks then?" he asked, his eyebrows rising suggestively.

"Yep. Men aren't the only ones allowed to be shallow sometimes," she laughed, poking him in the side.

"Well, that's only fair, I guess…" he smiled, trailing off as he felt her flick over another page of the photo album.

"So, what are the photos like?" he asked, looking down in the general direction of the book.

It was at times like these when Annie truly tended to forget her friend's blindness. It was stupid of her really, but did happen every now and again. Not because she was careless but more because he was so efficient and confident and she never saw him falter. It was something she greatly admired about him, among may other things.

She flipped open the offending photo album, almost afraid to look down.

"Go on, I'm sure it's not that bad," he cooed, nudging her shoulder with his.

Shaking her head with a little smirk on her face, she looked down at pictures of her teenage self.

"Oh god," she groaned as she witnessed a particularly bad hair day combined with a dreadful knitted Christmas sweater on her thirteen year old self.

After explaining this to Auggie – horror lacing her tone, he laughed heartily.

"Man, that does sound bad. But it got better as you got older though, right? You were someone's high school sweetheart?"

Annie threw him a sideways glance as she heard his question. She wasn't quite sure how to respond.

"Uh…no, not really. I-I didn't really date that much in High School 'cause I moved around so much, I…couldn't get close to anyone, you know?"

They both ignored how quiet her voice had gotten, how almost…sad it sounded. The conversation was definitely taking a turn, and not a good one.

"Hey, I must show you my Senior yearbook sometime. You think bad hair and a Christmas sweater is bad? Just wait till you see a seventeen year old Auggie Anderson," he smiled, trying to ease the little awkwardness that had formed.

She snorted. His grin grew wider. Mission accomplished.

"Wow. A seventeen year old Auggie? I can't even begin to imagine…"

"Alright, I'll give you some help. Think…Buddy Holly meets Napoleon Dynamite."

Annie was glad she hadn't been just taking a drink as he said this for she soon burst out laughing, her shoulders violently shaking as she fought to control her breathing.

"Oh…my…you-you can't be-"

"-Oh I am serious, Walker. And thanks for the sensitivity, by the way," he finished, sarcasm dripping his tone, yet a small knowing grin still on his face.

Annie was still struggling for breath through her frantic near-giggles which caught the attention from both of her nieces.

"What's so funny, Aunt Annie?" asked Chloe turning to face them from her position on the floor in front of the TV.

Annie clamped her hand over her mouth to stifle the noise, trying desperately to stop but to no avail. The image of a geek chic August Anderson clad in Doc Martens, milk-bottle black rimmed glasses and a "Vote for Pedro" t-shirt was firmly burned into her brain for the rest of eternity.

"Your Aunt is just being mean to me, Chloe," Auggie replied, mock-sadness in his voice.

"Hey, hey Aug…" she mumbled, still chuckling, "did you keep tater tots in your pockets too?"

She didn't wait for a response before erupting into giggles again.

"Hilarious, Walker. Just hilarious," he responded dryly, poking her in the ribs.

"Oh! Did you have nun chucks? Or dance to Jamiroquai? Or hunt wolverines in Alaska?"

"Wow, you're just the queen of wisecracks tonight, huh? We should have never had cult-classic movie night last week…" he grumbled, shaking his head.

"Aww…Auggie…embrace who you are. Oh! I've totally got a new nickname for you…" she was practically bouncing with excitement, curling even closer to him, bringing her bare feet up on the couch and leaning her shoulder against his.

"I'm almost afraid to ask," he muttered, turning his head in her direction.

"Buddy Dynamite!" she exclaimed and he could hear the utterly proud grin in her voice.

He snorted.

"Good one, sounds like a really bad super hero."

"Hey, don't sell yourself short, you've got skills," she chortled, giving him the perfect lead in.

"Nunchaku skills... bowhunting skills... computer hacking skills... Girls only want boyfriends who have great skills!" he lamented in his best Napoleon Dynamite impression, remembering the quote word for word.

This pleased Annie greatly. He totally nailed it and it made her laugh harder than ever before.

_Wow. Annie Walker has__ a geeky side,_ Auggie thought happily to himself.

"From Narcissus to Buddy, quite the climb huh?"

"Yeah, but I don't know which is worse," she sniggered, as he let out a pseudo-offended "HEY!"

Slowly, Chloe made their way over to them.

"Aunt Annie, are you still making fun of Auggie?" she asked cautiously, folding her arms across her chest.

Annie looked towards her niece and witnessed her serious stance. _Oops._

"Yes, Chloe, she is still teasing me," Auggie's wounded voice wafted quietly.

She rolled her eyes at his tone. She could never win against him.

"But why are you making fun of Auggie? I thought you liked him?" her niece asked innocently, her young mind not registering the embarrassed blushes that crept up both her aunt's neck and their guest's.

"I-I do like Auggie, sweetie, I'm just kidding around…" she assured her niece, biting her bottom lip.

Auggie had stilled beside her, listening intently.

"Oh, okay. 'Cause, we like him too…he's better than any boy Mom's ever invited to Thursday dinner," she informed the shocked adults before skipping back over and sitting back down beside her sister.

"Yeah," called Katia over her shoulder, "you're awesome, Uncle Auggie."

Annie stole a glance at her best friend as the two remained silent, utterly surprised at her two nieces. The blush continued spreading up his neck and over his cheeks as he uttered a soft "thanks girls" before taking a sip of his beer.

"See? They're your biggest fans," she cooed quietly, poking his shoulder.

"And I'm theirs," he responded before continuing nonchalantly, "and yours too."

Warmth spread throughout her entire body at his words. Her heart thumped frantically, so much so she was sure his bionic hearing would pick up on it at any moment. _Just listen to your heart, that's what I do... _the movie quote taunted her. She really had to stop letting Auggie choose the movies.

"And I'm yours…Buddy. Or would you prefer Mr. Dynamite?"

**A/N: I know I promised more plot development (and probably haven't delivered) but I assure you there is some to come. I decided to split one HUGE chapter into two so here's the first instalment. The next should be up A LOT sooner than my last update.**

**NEXT CHAPTER SNEAK PEEK:**

**The girls go to bed – Annie/Auggie alone time.**

**Dirty drinking games**

**Discussion of…blush-worthy things…**

**So, yeah, the rating will probably go up a little.**

**Hope you enjoyed my almost pure-banter filled chapter that I had to rewrite twice!**

**A review would be lovely.**

**~Cortexikid**


	4. Dirty Minds Think Alike

**The Infallible Uncle Auggie**

**By Cortexikid**

**Chapter 4: Dirty Minds Think Alike**

**A/N: Okay, this ended up being way bigger than I intended. I'm not happy with it but meh, it'll do. Hope you enjoy anyways =]**

"Okay girls, time for bed…" Annie called quietly, patting Auggie's arm before standing up from the couch.

"Aww, Aunt Annie! Can't we stay up a little longer?" Chloe asked, doing her very best pout and near-whining voice.

"Nope, 'fraid not Chlo-Bear, your mom said bedtime's nine-thirty and it's already…nine forty-five," Annie replied matter-of-factly, checking her watch.

"But we-"

"-The only buts will be your little butts going upstairs to change into your pajamas," she responded, folding her arms in what she hoped was a "I'm a very serious, unbreakable Aunt' stance, leaving no word for argument.

"Okay…" the two mumbled quietly in unison before standing up and stretching, barely stifling yawns.

"Good night girls," Auggie smiled, shaking his head at their grumbles of protest. Before he could prepare himself the two children bounded over to him and enveloped him in a huge hug.

"Night, Uncle Auggie," they said sweetly as he hugged them both back.

Annie watched silently as her nieces embraced her best friend. A large (almost goofy) smile spread across her face, her eyes twinkling brightly. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of them – it was just another reminder of how unbelievably lucky she was to have Auggie…to have him as her best friend…to have him in her life. She was even more elated to see Auggie's subtle smile as the girls broke away and raced up the stairs. She couldn't explain why but it warmed her heart to know that Auggie was fond of her family and vice versa. She never had a friend that she was as close to in her entire life as she was with him and it meant the world to her that she could share him with her family.

A confused frown came to her face as she thought about that. Never had she ever wanted to 'share' anyone with her family before. Not even with Ben (however brief their relationship proved to be) did the thought ever cross her mind that he was the type to 'bring home to her mother' so to speak. But with Auggie…with Auggie things were different. In the two and a half years she'd known him he had gotten past her firmly laid walls without much effort; she let him in emotionally more than anyone and trusted him with her life, literally and fugitively.

Normally, this type of deep emotional connection would send Annie running for the hills but, like everything else regarding them, her relationship with Auggie defied the odds. Never, not once, did she get uncomfortable with how well he knew her or how much he had come to mean to her. They shared this unimaginable secret, had extremely dangerous jobs and yet could hang out with her nieces on a Saturday night like normal people. She truly had the best of both worlds.

"Earth to Annie…" Auggie called from the couch, her gaze hovering in her direction.

"Sorry—I was in my own little world there," she apologized, trying to stop a blush from rising up her neck.

"This one not good enough for you?" he teased, sitting back into the couch and folding his arms.

She shook her head, her normal Auggie-induced grin spreading across her face.

"Of course it is, don't pout," she smirked, "I'm just gonna go check on the girls, make sure they're actually getting ready for bed, won't be too long. Make yourself comfortable," she finished, handing him another beer.

Her hand lingers a little longer than necessary on his forearm. Auggie doesn't make any movement to remove it. There was almost complete silence; all being heard was their mingled breaths in the otherwise quiet living room. Annie found herself staring down at him, letting her gaze wash over his handsome face as he angled his head towards her, listening.

"Thank you for this…" she half-whispered, her grip tightening a little.

"For what?" he smiled.

"Well, I'm sure you had better things to do on a Saturday night other than babysitting with me," she replied, trying not to think of what those "things" might be.

"Trust me Annie—there's nothing better than hanging out with you…and the girls," he responded, patting her hand gently.

"Not even a smoking hot date?"

Auggie laughed.

"I stand by my previous statement Walker, and besides…why would I need a smoking hot date when I have you to keep me company?"

Annie scoffed.

"You're saying I'm not smoking hot, Anderson?"

"Au contraire Mon Cher, I'm very aware of your degree of hotness…"

Between laughter and light-hearted remarks Annie could feel a kind of weight in his words (and hers.) It was their own brand of "flirtation" that had morphed over the last two years, playfully toeing the line between friendly banter and something with a little more substance. As of late those little comments from him made her heart beat just a little too fast and a little too hard.

Shaking her head, she gently let go of his hand and walked out into the hallway.

"You're not so bad yourself, Anderson," she called over her shoulder as she ascended the stairs.

* * *

"Okay, you little monsters ready for bed?" Annie asked as she entered the shared room of her two young nieces.

"Yep," Katia answered, pulling back her blanket and climbing into bed.

"Did you guys brush your teeth?"

They both nodded.

"Good," she smiled, walking over to Katia first and tucking her in before turning to Chloe and doing the same.

Suddenly, Chloe reached out and caught her hand.

"Aunt Annie?" she asked quietly, obvious tiredness seeping into her tone.

"Yeah sweetie?"

"Is Uncle Auggie staying over?"

Annie stilled, her hand frozen behind her niece's ear where she tucked back her hair.

"Uh…"

"-'Cause if he is, he could come to the park with us tomorrow," Chloe continued, her voice growing excited, grinning widely.

"And he could have a picnic with us too," piped up Katia, an identical smile on her face.

Annie looked back and forth between her nieces at a total loss for words.

"Uh…well, I-I'll ask him," she mumbled embarrassingly, having no intention of doing any such thing.

"Cool, night Aunt Annie" Chloe grinned as Annie gave them a little wave and smile before backing out of the room, turning out the light and making sure the door was slightly ajar.

Slowly, she made her way back downstairs, her niece's words ringing in her ears.

_Auggie stay the night? We've never done that before. I've stayed at his place but…no, you can't really ask him. It-it'd be weird. He could always meet us at the park tomorrow if he wanted…no! You've already commandeered his Saturday night, don't take over his Sunday morning too Annie…_

Suddenly, her cell-phone beeped loudly, signalling a text message.

Annie paused at the top of the stairs and pulled out her phone, seeing that the message was from Danielle.

**Hey Anniee justt textin to let ya konw that Barb askd me & Mike 2 stay the night. The boys are talkin golf & me & Barb cracked open some wine. Be home 2morow morning. Loove u sis,, dani. **

Annie laughed at her sister's obvious drunken text, shaking her head with amusement. It wasn't until she started descending the stairs did she realize what this meant.

_Danielle and Michael won't be home until the morning.__ The girls want Auggie to stay the night. Hell, I kinda want Auggie to-_

"Everything okay, Annie?" a voice interrupted her musing.

"Huh, what?"

Annie looked up and realized she was back in the living room. She was so engrossed in her thoughts she seemed to be working on auto-pilot. Auggie's laugh met her ears.

"Back in your own little world?"

Annie shook her head and made her way over to him, sitting back down on the couch, sighing heavily.

"What's the sigh for?" he asked, a little concern etching his tone.

She looked over to him and decided to just be straight with him.

"Danielle and Michael won't be back tonight, apparently Barb and Dave asked them to stay the night, wine and golf are involved too…" she trailed off, not knowing exactly how to continue.

"Wine and golf? A lethal combination," he joked.

"Yeah, hopefully they aren't mixing the two…" she smiled, leaning her head back onto the couch.

Auggie, sensing her more relaxed composure, turned to her, a sly grin spreading across his face.

"So, Walker, it seems we have the house to ourselves. What do you wanna do?"

Annie cocked an eyebrow, her own grin forming.

"I've got an idea…"

* * *

"NO! That's cheating!" Annie exclaimed loudly, swatting his hand as he tried to give her the glass.

"I don't cheat Walker, now drink," he smirked, holding out the glass once more.

Rolling her eyes to the ceiling (for her benefit not his) she pursed her lips and took the glass from him, knocking back the liquid quickly.

It seemed Annie's idea consisted a bottle of wine and a mixture old drinking games she remembered playing in college. Auggie approved heartily and the two (now over two hours later) found themselves a very tipsy and finding out more about each other than they ever knew before.

"Okay, my turn Mr-Know-It-All, Never have I ever…had a drink shoot out my nose," she snorted, knowing fully well that such an incident had happened to her friend.

"Damn you. I was laughing and it just happened and you know it!" he mock-scolded her before taking his own large gulp of alcohol.

After he was done wincing a bit, a look of determination passed over his face.

"Okay, we've been playing it safe for too long now. Let's step this up a bit…"

Annie smirked, "okay…bring it on, Anderson."

"Okay. Never have I ever…had sex on a washing machine!"

Annie burst out laughing, "seriously, that's what you call stepping it up? You disappointment me, Auggie," she snorted, taking a drink.

"Alright then Ms. Whirlpool, you do better," he grinned, slowly pouring out another drink.

Annie sat quietly in contemplation for a moment before grinning widely.

"Okay, never have I ever woke other people up from being too loud during sex," she grinned, already taking a drink before the sentence fully left her lips.

"Liar," Auggie smirked, his drink still lying idle in his hand.

"What—you've never gotten a little too loud Auggie?"

"No, not me. I have made my partners get a little loud though," he replied smugly.

"Wow, someone's sure of themselves huh?"

"Yep. My turn. Okay, never have I ever—"

"-Oh! Wait, wait! I have a dirty guessing game we could play!" Annie exclaimed excitedly, leaning a little closer to him.

"Oh really? How do we play?" he asked, intrigue entering his voice.

"I give you some dirty clues and you have to guess what I am. But, the catch is, I'm not something dirty, I'm something clean, normal, like an inanimate object or an animal or something. Get it?"

Auggie nodded in understanding.

"Okay…let me think…aha, got it! You'll want to eat me when I'm hot…"

Auggie's eyebrows rose. Annie continued as if she didn't notice his reaction.

"Some people eat me out…"

Auggie almost gulped, clutching his drink tightly in his hand.

"I taste salty…"

Silence met her words. Auggie sat there, pretending to contemplate when really he was just trying to regulate his breathing and calm his frantic heartbeat.

"Uh…what happens if I get it wrong?"

Annie laughed at his almost shell-shocked expression.

"Then, my friend, you drink…" she cooed, pleased that she was having this effect on him.

The alcohol flooding through their systems were wreaking havoc on their senses and neither realized that they probably had entirely too much to drink. However, it was far too late for them to rectify that fact. They both needed this, a nice, calm, (if a little drunken) night after a very long week of work. It was neither of their intentions to get drunk (as they were babysitting) but with the easy atmosphere, tiredness and access to tasty tequila and/or wine, the inevitable happened.

"Well, Anderson? Give up?" she asked after another moment of silence.

Auggie shook his head in defeat, heaving a faux-sigh.

"I surrender. Your dirty clues are just too much for me. So, what are you?"

"FRIES!" Annie yelled before clamping her hand over her mouth, her eyes widening.

"Shoot…I hope I didn't wake the girls," she whispered softly, watching intently as Auggie took another sip.

"Humm…maybe the guessing game is a little too rich for my blood," he mumbled thoughtfully before continuing, "I've got a good 'I never' though…"

He shifted a little closer to her and she took his glass to refill it. He reached out and caught her hand on the glass. Annie's eyes stared into his as his danced to her left.

"Really?" she breathed, her heart racing as he leaned forward "what is it?"

He took a deep breath, beaming, "Never have I ever had any complaints from my sexual partners…"

Annie let his words sink in, a deep flush attacking her cheeks. They were threading on even more dangerous territory here. She felt like this entire night felt a little…different between them. From him dropping everything to come over and help her with dreaded math homework, to cute teasing about their pasts on the couch to adorable interactions with her nieces to…now. Whatever was happening now.

Auggie was just being same old Auggie, she knew, but, somehow, tonight felt…different, more intense. And she knew it wasn't the alcohol talking.

Suddenly, out of the blue, a boldness grew within her. She wanted to challenge him, challenge his statement with everything she stood for. Raise the stakes, so to speak. This night just called for it. This weird and wonderful night with Auggie Anderson.

"I don't believe you."

If Auggie was surprised by her words, he certainly showed it. From his slacked jaw to risen eyebrows, he looked downright astonished.

Annie could never predict (or prepare herself for) what happened next, or rather, what he said next.

"You want me to prove it to you?"

There was a short silence as the two soaked up his words. Annie could hear her heart beating loudly in her chest as she stared at him, really stared at him, trying desperately to figure out anything from his expression, wishing beyond hope that she could read his mind.

_Does he mean what I think he means? Is he serious? Kidding?_

Annie tilted her head to the side, knowing that alcohol was affecting her and probably him too, but damn it, now, with these thoughts in her head, her usually forbidden 'Auggie' thoughts, she just didn't care. She wanted to know what he meant and she wanted to know, now.

_Guess there's only one way to find out…_

Before she could think too hardly about it, words tumbled from her lips, barely audible.

"And how would you prove it, exactly?"

The longest five seconds in history followed her words.

But, it seemed, that was all the encourage Auggie needed. Suddenly, he quickly but timidly leaned forward and reached out, cupping her cheek. Annie stilled and watched intently (holding her breath) as he finally closed the gap between them, his lips brushing hers softly.

Slowly, she closed her eyes and let every emotion wash over her in one heartfelt moment, only one thought running through her mind.

_Oh. My. God. He wasn't kidding…_

**A/N: Okay, I really don't like this. But I've literally spent HOURS re-working it and decided that this will do, for now. I may re-edit but don't worry, I'll let you guys know if I do.**

**Sorry that I left it on a cliffy (I have a habit of doing that) but it really would be waaay too long if I kept going.**

**TO COME:**

**1. A continuation of the last few moments of this chapter *grin***

**2. The morning after the night before *wink***

**3. Some more Auggie interactions with Katia and Chloe**

**4. Danielle and Michael come home to quite a surprise**

**5. Annie and Auggie have some serious things to talk about**

_SNIPPET_

"_All teenage guys wanna__ do is to race each other on planks of wood and scare the crap out of pedestrians."_

"A_nd get laid."_

"_That too."_

**Please let me know what you thought. **

**A review would be lovely.**

**~Cortexikid**

**PS. Annie's 'dirty clues' game is really the "Dirty Minds" board game which I got for my birthday a few days ago. Funniest birthday present ever!**


	5. Inevitable Evolution

**The Infallible Uncle Auggie**

**By Cortexikid**

**Chapter 5: Inevitable Evolution**

**PLEASE NOTE! ****Wow, this was by far the hardest chapter to write ever! So difficult in fact, that I decided to postpone my previously "coming up" snippets from the last chapter and decided to have this stand alone. It felt like it needed a chapter to itself. Hope you enjoy! =]**

**WARNING: Some "T" rated action below. I guess it's a low-key teaser of my Annie/Auggie "M" fic that's coming soon ;)**

Annie's hands reached up and roamed through Auggie's smooth hair. A soft moan escaped her as he licked her bottom lip, silently asking permission for entrance. She complied jovially, her tongue dancing with his, smiling into the kiss as his arms wrapped tightly around her waist. Her heart was soaring, thumping wildly in her chest as she playfully bit Auggie's lip, her smile widening as he bit back.

Slowly, Auggie leaned forward and Annie leaned back against the couch, half-sitting half-laying. Her pulse picked up pace as she felt his hands move around from her back to rest on her hips. She was beginning to run out of air now so (not wanting to break the kiss first) she took initiative and placed her own hand on his sculpted torso, trailing her fingers down to the hem of his comical t-shirt.

As her fingers grazed the bottom of his shirt, she suddenly felt the warm, taut muscles beneath her hand. She gasped; face flushing bright red barely biting back a groan. Auggie stilled suddenly and Annie feared that he misunderstood her reason for gasping. Before she could protest, he broke the kiss and sat back from her, panting heavily, trying desperately to catch his breath.

"Aug-"

"-Ann-Annie I—uh…oh god. I—I'm sorry…" he grumbled, pushing himself off the couch, hastily grabbing his cane.

"Aug-"

"-I—I should go. I-I'm sorry…again. I never should have-it's my fault…I-I'll see you on Monday. Say bye to the girls for—"

"-AUGUST!" Annie exclaimed loudly, standing up and walking over to where he was standing, looking adorably like a deer caught in headlights.

"Just…just shut up for a second," she continued, pressing an attentive finger to her swollen lips, standing a step closer, searching his face for any reaction.

He remained silent, deliberately angling his head down as she took her chance to jump in.

"Auggie I—I may have had a few drinks…" Auggie's scoff interrupted her.

She glared at him, ignoring his interruption, "okay…I've had more than a few, but, I'm not stupid. I'm very aware of my actions…" she said, determinedly folding her arms across her chest.

"Annie, we—we've both had too much to…we're not thinking clearly," he replied quietly, reaching up and rubbing his neck nervously, "I—I shouldn't have kissed you, you're not ready for…you don't think of me in that way—I gotta go," his broken speech rambled as he turned his back to her and began walking away.

"Hold on a second," she snapped, anger flooding her veins as she watched him attempt to leave.

"Are you seriously going to leave me in the middle of the night, August Anderson?" she continued, her voice hardened with more hurt than anger.

Auggie froze, suddenly realizing his mistake. Shaking his head slowly, he turned back around to face her. That movement alone spoke volumes about him, about her and their entire relationship. He was not Ben Mercer, nor would he ever be.

Slowly, Annie closed the large gap between them, placing her hand on his chest as she looked up into his chocolate orbs, an inch barely between their noses. She knew that it was liquid courage flowing through her but it was more courage than she'd felt around Auggie recently. Now (a little drunken or not) was the time when she finally going to tell him how she felt, about him, about them and about his jaw-dropping, heart-stopping kiss.

It was now…or never.

"First of all," she half-whispered, her hand reaching up to rest on the back of his neck, "I can't speak for you but, honestly, my head's a hell of a lot clearer then it has been in a long time…" she trailed off, knowing that he understood exactly what she meant.

"Ann-"

"-Shhh…" her hand reached up and her index finger placed itself firmly on his lips, halting his interruption.

"Secondly, don't tell me what I may or may not be ready for. I know you're only being your normal protective self Auggie, but, I'm a big girl who can take care of herself. And thirdly…don't tell me how I think of you. That's my decision, my judgement. And besides—you'd be wrong, anyway…" she trailed off, now feeling extremely nervous of her sudden confession.

Auggie's eyebrows shot up to his hairline as he heard her admission.

"What—what does…" he seemed at a loss for words but she easily filled in the gaps.

Trying desperately to calm her frantically beating heart, Annie took a deep breath, suddenly over-whelmed as a ton of memories flooded her brain all at once. The first time she met Auggie – his witty remark about being led around the CIA by a blind guy, her first drink with Auggie at Allen's, sparring with Auggie, chatting with Auggie, kissing Auggie on the cheek, crying on Auggie's shoulder, laughing with Auggie, hugging Auggie and now…kissing Auggie with more passion than she ever knew she had. Auggie, Auggie, Auggie. She could not believe just how much he had assimilated into her life. The fact was, she could hardly think of any moment of her life in the last two and a half years without him popping up somewhere. She couldn't form into words how…deeply attached she felt to him. How great he made her feel by just hanging out with her how calming and comforting and just plain…wonderful he was, is.

_Oh god Annie, get a grip! Say something, anything! It's now or never!_ Her inner voice taunted her, spitting her out of her reverie and forcing her to speak, to take that final plunge.

"-I guess," she started timidly, "it means, that recently…no scratch that, I've always felt something…for you…more then just a best friend should but I was in denial for so long. And…when I couldn't stay in denial any longer I guess- I guess I made excuses of why this couldn't happen between us. My main reason why I never acted on it was because I was still dealing with getting over Ben and everything that happened and we grew so close as friends but now…now I know that…I feel much more for you then just friendship, no more denial, no more excuses…"

And there it was. The elephant in the room was finally acknowledged. A weight seemed to have lifted off her shoulders yet simultaneously a wrenching, sickening feeling of fear settled in her gut as she finished her frantic rambling.

Upon silence meeting her ears, she began to panic.

_Oh god. Annie what the hell have you done!__ Have you really just admitted to a practical Casanova that you have feelings for him? Not to mention that he is the best (and only) friend you've ever had! Now you just ruined everything! Are you totally nuts!_

"Uh…wow. I—sorry, I—I shouldn't have…this—this is uh…" she desperately tried to back-peddle but before she could continue, Auggie took a step towards her.

She held her breath in anticipation as she watched him approach silently, reaching out and cupping her cheek with surprising accuracy before leaning in and placing a chaste kiss to her hairline.

"Annie…" he whispered, leaning down (significantly more seen as she wasn't clad in her heels) and rested his forehead against hers.

"I'm sorry I freaked out I just—I was so scared that…that I ruined everything between us. You have been the…the most amazing thing in my life. The greatest thing to happen to me in a very, very long time. Your friendship truly means the world to me and-"

"-And that's all you want. Friendship," she deadpanned, trying to block out the feeling of her heart shattering into a million pieces like a glass vase falling off a pedestal.

"No! God no! Annie I—I've wanted nothing more than…something deeper with you for such a long time now. You've become the most important person in my life, the one I look forward to spending time with every day even in our crappiest of days…it's your voice that I lov—God this is stupid…" he berated himself anxiously until suddenly, to his surprise, Annie snorted in amusement.

"Are we actually doing this?" she asked and he could plainly hear the smile in her voice.

He slowly grinned, knowing exactly what she meant.

"Yeah, Walker, I think we are. I think we're actually having the 'I've-just-had-an-epiphany-that-I-can't-imagine-my-life-without-you-speech'," he finished cupping her cheek tighter as she rose up on her tip-toes and rested her forehead against his again.

"Can we do this?" she murmured, her lips a fraction of an inch from his. "Can we make this work? Because I tell ya Auggie, if we're not one hundred per cent sure, I just can't risk it. It's like you said…I can't imagine my life without you. I rather have you as my best friend and nothing else then not have you at all."

He made a noise of agreement, a soft sigh escaping his lips as his eyes closed slowly.

"All I know is…I can't help how I feel about you and now that I know what it's like to kiss you, well, I'm not sure I'll ever be able to be 'just your friend' ever again," he mumbled, a soft teasing to his tone that was hardly recognisable under his deeply sincere manner.

Her lips formed a small grin.

"Is that your adorably geeky way of saying that you 'like like' me too Anderson?"

He laughed, planting a tender kiss on her cheek, dangerously close to her mouth.

"Yeah, Walker, I guess it is…"

The turn of events had nearly completely sobered up the two. In those few moments, the reality of what transpired between them hit them full force. But, neither was afraid anymore. In fact, they truly felt…hopeful.

"So…what now?" Annie asked attentively, her soft breath bouncing off his cheek.

"Well," Auggie pretended to consider, "it's my understanding that it's common for two people who 'like like' each other to, occasionally, kiss…a lot," he finished, bringing his arms around to rest on her waist.

Annie chuckled. It was a relief to know that despite the utter seriousness of what just happened between them, Auggie could still be Auggie.

"That sounds like a plan," she replied softly before she took the initiative, rose up on her tip-toes and captured his lips with hers in a much calmer, gentler kiss than before. She felt him smile against her.

As they broke apart, Annie rested her head on his shoulder, before slowly walking backwards towards the couch, lightly tugging him with her. As they sat down, Annie recaptured his lips, bringing her arms around his neck as he clutched her cheek and tangled his other hand in her hair.

"Wow…" Annie panted as they broke apart for air, "if I had have known that all I needed to do to get you to kiss me like this was just to get some alcohol down your throat and play dirty drinking games with you I woulda done it a hell of a lot sooner!"

His laugh met her ears and her heart soared.

_Maybe things will work out fine…maybe we can be finally be happy…This could work…_

_But what if it doesn't?_

The niggling worry hit her like a ton of bricks. Suddenly she was over-whelmed by everything and bit her bottom lip.

And Auggie, with his amazing spidey-sense, picked up on her unease.

"Hey, hey, Annie…don't go quiet on me now. Not when you're so brilliantly taking advantage of me," he joked, clutching her cheek a little tighter – this non-verbal action a lot more serious than his words.

"I—sorry. It's just…what if-"

"-Annie, don't you think we've wasted enough time worrying about 'what ifs'? This…us…it's good. Fantastic, even. Don't you think it's about time we both deserve some happiness?"

Her mouth snapped shut. The man had a point.

"So…we're…taking that chance?" she murmured, her eyes shining with unshed tears (both happy and chilling to the bone scared).

"More like we're…taking the inevitable next step…" he replied attentively, seeking out her hand and clasping it in his.

"Inevitable? You—you always thought we'd get here?" she whispered, leaning into him, her forehead resting on his.

"I always hoped…one day—we could. One day you could feel the same way about me as I…as I do about you…"

Her heart skipped a beat at his words. She couldn't believe this was happening—she was damn near convinced she was going to wake up any moment now alone in her bed and painfully disappointed at not having Auggie's lips on hers.

It wasn't an 'I love you' between them yet (no matter how strongly the two felt it was far too early for admissions like those), but, certainly it was a beginning. A beginning of something new and exciting and terrifying and wonderful.

That much she knew.

But now, it was time to deal with the present.

"So…the girls wanted me to ask you something…" she murmured, letting her fingers dance along his collar bone as they both settled back into the couch, sitting a lot closer than before.

"Oh really? And what might that be?" he asked, his smile never once leaving his face.

"Well, they wanted to know if you'd like to accompany us to the park for a picnic and…and if you'd be willing to…maybe, sleep over tonight…" she mumbled, trying to sound nonchalant but not quite pulling it off.

They were in new territory now after all. That request wasn't so innocent anymore.

"I'd love to," he started, "but…you're not gonna make me sleep outside on the porch are you? That October air ain't that hot," he finished, nudging her shoulder with his.

As always, he was making light of a potentially awkward situation. She knew that he deliberately gave her a chance to bail or an opportunity for a snazzy reply.

"Well, maybe not on the porch but…I'm sure the guest room wouldn't mind a visitor," she smiled, leaning over and pecking his cheek lightly. _Slow and steady wins the race, Annie,_ her mind reminded her.

He smiled back.

They both felt the change in their atmosphere.

They were evolving.

They were still Annie Walker and Auggie Anderson – best friends. Only, now, they happened to…be more open about their hidden feelings and mixed in a few kisses every now and again.

Change is inevitable after all. As is evolution.

They were now testament to that fact.

"Come on Aug, I think someone needs their beauty sleep," Annie pulls him up off the couch and leads him towards the guest bedroom.

"Hey! I resent that Walker! Beauty is in the eye of the beholder…"

Annie turned to him in the doorway, truly drinking in his handsome form, a smile creeping onto her face. He was quite the looker (and that was putting it lightly) – but, there was no need to fuel his already cocky ego.

"Whatever you say Anderson, whatever you say…"

**A/N: So I can't describe how UNBELIEVABLY AWFUL I feel about this chapter. It is not the direction I wanted to go in AT ALL but my mind just wouldn't let me rest until this was typed so…**

**Grr. I'm too damn indecisive! **

**I guess it'll just have to do, no matter how unhappy I am with it.**

**Hopefully you guys liked it despite my worries…**

**OHHH! Don't worry if things seem to 'easy' or 'simple' for them now. There will be some roadblocks up ahead because we all know that true happiness does not come easy!**

**A review would be lovely :)**

**~Cortexikid**

**P.S. The aforementioned (in the last chapter) sneak peeks and plot developments will be the chapter six. This chapter just needed to be singular, hope you guys can forgive me! =]**


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